Dispensing container



March 28, 1950 D. c. CLARKE DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Aug. 30, 1945 Patented Mar. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING CONTAINER.

Douglas C. Clarke,Mountain Lakes, N. J., alsignor of one-third to Robert Ostertag, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application August 30, 1945, Serial No. 613,530

3 Claims.

, problems of the eificient use of the interior space in a container, of constructing a container simply and effectively, and of providing a container which can be easily packed, used, and operated,

have never been satisfactorily solved. Pursuant to the present invention, on the other hand, there may be provided'containers which have space for the inclusion of sets of directions or advertising matter, articles which will assist in the administration or use of the contents, material which is adapted to be utilized therewith, premiums or the like; which are operable with the utmost ease and effectiveness; which can be properly packed with the utmost ease; and which are sturdy and simple of construction and adapted to be constructed of any of a variety of materials.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure 1 is a top perspective view of the body member of one form of container constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view alon the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is aperspec'ti e view of the complete container with the sliding cover in closed position;

in open position; 1 v

Fig. 5 is a transversesectional view along the line 5-5 ofFig.4; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view along the line 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a similar view along the line 1-1 01 Fill. 4;

Fig. 4 is a similar view with the sliding cover I Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a modified form of construction;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating another modification; and

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing the cover in open position.

In the embodiment of the invention exemplified in Figs. 1-7 there is provided a shallow rectangular body member 5 formed of sheet metal,

plastic or other suitable material to provide side portions 6 and transversely extending barrier means 1, 8 and 9 which set ofi the interior of the body member to provide a main compartment I!) normally communicating with a dispensing compartment H and to provide also an additional compartment l2 which for practical purposes is entirely separated from the other two compart- The longitudinal sides of the body porments. tion are turned outwardly as at 13 to retain the flanges Id of a cover member l5 so that relative sliding movement of the cover member on the body member is permitted. The cover member is formed near one end with a longitudinally extending barrier element I6 and, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 4, the barrier members I and 8 are separated to providea channel I! for the movement of the barrier member [6, although, it the barrier members I, 8 and 16 are less than half the height of the container, this may be omitted. In the present instance, th distance between the barrier member 8 and the parallel side portion of the body member II which is nearest thereto and the distance between the barrier member 8 and the barrier member 9 is substantially the same. The length of the barrier member 16 is of similar extent although, as will be appreciated, the type of contents will determine the necessary length of the barrier member It. For instance, if pills 20 of the size shown in Figs. 6 and 7 are employed, the barrier member l6 will need to be only a fraction of its exemplified length to prevent the escape of additional pills when the cover is open. As exemplified, the cover is formed with indentations 2| which serve to stop the cover when it has moved a distance equal to the distance between the barrier members 8 and 9, but it will be understood that these may be placed differently depending on the type of contents to be used. It is, however, important that they function at a time when the longitudinal barrier member carried by the cover still serves wholly or partially to prevent movement of an article to be dispensed from the main compartment I0 to the dispensing compartment ll whenever the cover 3 is in open position. The cover is likewise formed with an opening 22 through which a pill 20 or other article, or in certain instances a plurality of smaller articles, may be dispensed from the dispensing compartment whenever the cover is in open position. When the cover is in closed position the barrier lies in the compartment I2 and the opening 22 lies above it. Desirablihthe compartment l2 may contain an advertising circular 23 or other article or articles. One or more minor barrier means as shown at 24 for example is provided to prevent such article from sliding into the path of movement of the barrier member 16. The latter mayin some instances be made of such small depthpasuto clear .a' circular, however. The provision of this compartment fills a long-felt need in sliding cover dispensing containers since it has been *diilicult'if not impossible to provide directions and/or advertising literature with most of these due to the relative inaccessibility of those portions of the container which would normally be used to retain such literature. It likewise serves to contain articles which are adapted to be.used in conjunction with or in the application ,of an article dispensed by the container.

As will be seen, a series. of articles such as the pills2il maybe laid in the main compartment and dispensing compartment as shown in Fig. 6. Movement of the. cover to the position ofFig. 7 brings the'barrier means It into position where it will prevent additional pills from moving into the space occupied by thesingle'pillto be dispensed and will at the sametime bring the opening"22..a'bove thelatterpill so that it will'be readily tipped out of the compartment. The same movement of the cover will permit the circular such .as'23containing directions or advertising mattento be removed and read or an other article vto be. removed and used. It is easy, moreover, to put the circular .or the other article or articles back into the compartment 12. When the cover is again moved to closedposition communication between the. dispensing compartment andithe main compartment is again reestablished and another pill '2'!) maytake its. place in the dispensing .compartment readyior .use When everthe cover is again slid to open position.

As will be appreciated, the illustrated construction may bemodified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention in its broader aspects. For example, instead of a cut-out opening 22 a cover member such as i5b 'of Fig."8.may.be cut away at one corner to provide arecessed portion22b, and

instead ofthe barrier'meansifi being formed by a fold'this'barrier means'may 'be provided by a bent-over uncutaway' portion'shown at Ifib. j

A lateral rather thanan upper opening may be provided. An arrangement of this sort is shown-in Figs. 9 and 10. Inthis case the side of the body member-is cut away fora short distance to provide an opening 25 at one side of'the dispensing compartment and the cover I50 isformed with'aportion ZB-adaptedto lie ,1

over this openingwhen'the cover is in'closed position, but to'move 'away from itwhen the cover is slid to open position. In 'the'present instance,the'portionZG isa part None of two sides Me which are bent'over' at the bottom as shown at 29 soas toreplace the flanges l4. For the sake of symmetry the two flanges Mc are extended the same distance to the left'(Fig. l0).

What'is claimed is:

1. A dispensing container comprising a shallow body member and a sliding cover member, barrier means on the body member defining two sides of a dispensing compartment 2. third side of which is provided by one of the first two mentioned members, means including part of the aforesaid barrier means providing an additional compartment, and-barrier means on the cover member adapted to be in .the additional compartment when the cover member is closed ..and to cooperate with the barrier means on the body member when the cover member is open to'prevent movement of articles between said dispensing compartment and the remainder ..ofythe bodymember, said cover member being formed withwan opening which permits dispensing from said dispensing compartment when said *cover' member is in the last mentioned position.

2. .A dispensing container comprising a shallow generally rectangular body member, a slid ing .cover member, barrier .means .on the .body

member ..at positionsspaced ,from ,three sides .of 1

the body member and extending ..transversely-to the direction of movementof thecover member and defining two sides .of ..a dispensing compartment,.other,,barrier means cooperating with one oftheaforesaid barrier. meansand with certain side portions of .the .body member to define an additional compartment, and .barrier .means on .the cover member .extending...in .the direction of .movement of the .cover member ..adapted ..to separate-said dispensing compartment from ..the interior of .said .body .member when the ..cover member .is open but .to permit communication of said dispensing compartment with .the interior of the body member when" the cover.mem-

her is closed, said cover member .beingrecessed to, permit communication between said ..dispensing compartment and the exterior of said eontainer when said covermember. isopen.

3..-A dispensing container comprising .a.,shallow generally rectangular body ..member and ..a sliding cover. member, spaced barrier means ,on the body. member extending transversely .to the direction of movement of. the .cover member but only for -a portion of .the'.'lateral..extent-.of .the body member, said barrier means defining ,two sides oia "dispensing compartment-a .third side of which is provided 'by none ..of -the .first .two

mentioned members,.andlbarriermeans on the cover member extending in the ..direction of movement of the cover member andadapted to provide the fourth .side .of saidfdispensing compartment when said cover is in-a dispensing position, and to be elsewhere ..when.said .cover is in a retaining position, the topof said cover being cutlaway topermit egress of articles. from the dispensing compartment when ..said cover .is in a dispensing position.

-.DQU.GLAS.C.-C.LARKE.

REFERENCES CITED The-following references .arerotrecord in the file of this patent:

rmrrnn STATES-PATENTS Duell ..June .l2, 1945 

